Outside of education, people often think Summer is an easy season. Charter Technology Solutions has provided managed IT services for charter schools and the education sector for over 15 years, and with over 80 school clients, we understand that Summer is where a smooth school year is built. We know you’ve been hard at work planning, iterating, and getting ready for the 25/26 school year.
With so much on your plate, we want to make it a bit easier to ensure that you’ve checked every box on your readiness checklist so that you and your students can start the year strong.
One critical area that school leaders must focus on is the reliability and efficiency of technology and cybersecurity that works around the clock. As the 2025–2026 school year kicks off, charter schools must take proactive measures to ensure their IT environments are secure, scalable, and fully functional from the first day of school.
Here are our recommendations to support your readiness and some insights on how an IT partner can make an impactful difference.
1. Devices and Infrastructure Audit (All of Them!)
Over the summer, many schools perform upgrades or receive new equipment. Before staff and students return, be sure to:
- Conduct a full inventory of all hardware (laptops, Chromebooks, servers, networking equipment).
- Your IT partner should have a full list of deployed devices and infrastructure that you can start with.
- Test all classroom technology and interactive displays.
- Make a checklist for each space (classrooms, gym, etc.) to provide to your teachers or operations staff. Be clear about what you want your staff to confirm each piece of technology does.
- Make sure all firmware and operating systems are updated.
- An IT partner can conduct this work rapidly if they manage your devices properly.
- If you need to do this on your own, a great place to start is an AI tool to help you. Here’s a prompt you can use: “You are an expert in enterprise hardware and software lifecycle management. I need to identify the currently installed OS and firmware versions for the following device: [insert device make and model]. Please also retrieve the most recent officially released OS and firmware versions for this device from the manufacturer or reliable sources. Finally, help me compare the two and determine whether an update is recommended, including any relevant release notes or known issues.”
Tip: Start early – the last thing you need is to conduct upgrades or for the Wi-Fi to go down while students are in school.
2. Networks Must Be in Good Shape and Ready to Go
Online testing, video-based learning, and cloud-based platforms mean bandwidth demands are high:
- An IT partner can conduct a health check of all your network infrastructure, ensuring that everything is ready for the demands of an average school day.
- If you don’t have an IT partner, consider using an app like “WiFi Analyzer” (Windows/Android) or “NetSpot” (Mac/Windows). Inventory all your spaces and then walk through and test each with an app like this.
- Triple check and make sure the firewall and content filtering systems are functioning correctly.
- Log onto your WiFi and attempt to navigate to sites you know should be blocked.
- Plan a “Week 1” school-wide activity where every student logs onto the network to watch a video on good Tech practices or your school’s history for a low-risk opportunity to identify accessibility issues.
Bonus: Consider network segmentation to separate student, staff, and guest traffic for improved performance and security.
3. Review and Strengthen Cybersecurity
Schools, Districts, and their business partners continue to be one of the most attractive targets for cyberattacks. Charter schools must protect student and staff data (former staff and students too) and operations from phishing, ransomware, and other threats.
What to check:
- Are all staff trained on basic cybersecurity hygiene and phishing awareness?
- An IT partner can support you in identifying training platforms that can ensure this occurs.
- Is multifactor authentication (MFA) enabled across critical systems?
- Are your backups current, secure, and regularly tested?
- Is your endpoint protection software current and centrally managed?
Quick win: It’s important to schedule a vulnerability scan or penetration test over the Summer to catch potential weak points. CTS specializes in managed IT services for charter schools – we perform these all the time and can guide you with analysis and proactive steps.
4. Update Access and Permissions
Staff turnover is a normal part of school operations. An IT partner can help ensure permissions are current in real time by creating an onboarding and offboarding process with you. But if you’re managing these systems on your own, cleaning up outdated credentials to make sure access is granted to the right people should be part of a regular process, so (at least) every time you send out report cards, confirm:
- Former staff accounts are deactivated.
- New staff have appropriate permissions (and nothing more).
- Guest and temporary accounts are limited and monitored.
Best Practice: Conduct quarterly audits of user access to your systems and student information platforms. (One way to make this process faster: Download a user inventory and compare it to your master staff list using VLOOKUP with the staff email as the unique ID.)
5. Have a Disaster Recovery and Incident Response Plan
What happens if your internet goes down on Day 2? Or if a staff member clicks on a malicious email? Be ready with:
- A clear, documented disaster recovery plan.
- Defined roles and responsibilities for IT incidents.
- Communication templates for notifying staff and families if needed.
Goals: The goal isn’t just to respond to an issue; it’s to recover and resume operations with minimal disruption.
6. Partner With a Trusted IT & Cybersecurity Provider
Technology plays a critical role in schools, which means your tech roadmap must be strategic, not reactive. Charter schools should seek an IT partner who:
- Understands the K–12 environment (schools have unique and specific needs that a partner needs to be well-versed in).
- Offers proactive monitoring and 24/7 support.
- Provides cybersecurity that’s built for schools and is affordable, effective, and compliant.
CTS provides managed IT services for charter schools and helps them thrive through exceptional IT and cybersecurity solutions.
We provide:
- Managed IT services custom-built for charter school operations
- Strategic guidance from education tech experts
- Proactive monitoring and long-term planning
- Flat-rate support—no one likes surprises
A call with CTS can help you:
- Identify vulnerabilities
- Plan your back-to-school IT checklist
- Get support before issues happen
Visit www.charterts.com or email us at sales@charterts.com to schedule a free consultation.
Let’s make 2025–2026 your smoothest, safest school year yet!
